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Bulk Handling Grain
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Grains in brief
17 Sep 2008
Ukraine's leading sunflower oil producer Kernel Holdings has bought a large bulk grain export terminal in the Black Sea port of Iliychivsk in the Ukraine. It’s the Ukraine's second largest grain terminal, with a loading capacity of up to 4.5m tonnes of grain annually and it can store 200,000 tonnes. The terminal is capable of loading panamax-size vessels.
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Russia makes its mark on the grain scene
17 Sep 2008
Panamax vessels loading grain at the newly-opened grain terminal at the Russian port of Novorossiysk will be able to do it much faster than had previously been possible.
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Domino effect
17 Sep 2008
The US slowdown in container imports has a knock-on effect on grain exports, leaving ports feeling the pinch from bulk as well as boxes. Stuart Pearcey reports
Container Handling: Cables and Reels
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Powering conversions
17 Sep 2008
The conversion of rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes from diesel to electric power, or to switchable diesel/electric power, is an emerging trend in container ports around the world – and one that has prompted extensive field testing by Conductix-Wampfler.
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How's the weather?
17 Sep 2008
Port operators need to take environmental conditions into account when choosing cables for their terminals, says Don Nester of igus.
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Chain reaction
17 Sep 2008
The rising costs of raw materials are putting even more emphasis on the need for long-lasting, high-performance cables. Felicity Landon reports on the latest trends
Container Handling: Crane Transport & Erection
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Nose to tail solutions
27 Aug 2008
Portek is one of very few companies offering turnkey solutions, organising the entire logistics chain in the movement of maritime handling equipment. Specialist maritime transporting companies also do this, although invariably feel more comfortable leaving it up to others to implement.
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Transport trouble
27 Aug 2008
Are there too many port cranes and not enough transport options? Opinion is divided as Alex Hughes finds out
Finance: Equipment Supply - Financial Options
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Credit in the crunch
27 Aug 2008
Getting credit for cargo handling equipment in the current financial climate need not be too much of a problem with manufacturers offering a number of finance deals, reports Patrik Wheater
In Focus: Tanger Med
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Toll of Tanger Med
20 Aug 2008
Spain's ports are having to seriously re-think long term strategic goals in the light of Morocco's Tanger Med success. Alex Hughes investigates
Insight & Opinion
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Crossing the lines
17 Sep 2008
The message coming out of the liner shipping markets is one we have heard before – “it is time to tighten your belts in anticipation of lean times ahead”. This action involves cutting back on available capacity in key services, implementing slow steaming where possible and cutting back on expansion plans.
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Beware the Russian Bear
10 Sep 2008
Russia’s recent advance into Georgia belies the profile of a country that does not yet fully respect democratic principles and which is steered by powerful individuals that have their own agenda in terms of the direction that Russia will pursue politically, economically and in the commercial world. Practically speaking, there is much of the old Russia in the new Russia and this includes a distinct shade of grey in its business dealings.
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Maersk machine grinds on mercilessly
03 Sep 2008
What is it they say, you have no friends in business? Well it seems that Maersk Line, the world’s leading container line in terms of slot capacity, is set to prove this old adage.
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The alphabet recession and irrational exuberance
27 Aug 2008
It used to be that recessions were linked to parachuting. Soft landings, hard landings, crash landings... The world is changing. Today there is not a day that passes without some new letter of the alphabet creeping into the economic recession language trying to explain the type, depth and length of the recession.
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Putting infrastructure funding back on track
27 Aug 2008
The election season is in full swing; with the official nominating conventions, the “presumptive candidates” will become their parties’ true nominees. While analysts believe that it will be a “Democratic year”, ie Barrack Obama could win, political campaigns have a habit of twisting, turning and surprising.
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Might HPH be scalded by its test of the insurance waters?
20 Aug 2008
Winning and losing are words that are best avoided in the nuanced world of ports and terminals insurance.
News Africa
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Mombasa efficiency about more than capacity increases
10 Sep 2008
Maritime experts have queried whether Mombasa's aim to become one of the 20 most efficient ports in the world by 2010 is achievable.
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Luanda port loan nod
07 Sep 2008
The African Investment Bank has granted a loan of $45m to Sogester, which has been put together by APM Terminals (51%) and Gestão de Fundos (49%) to open a new container terminal in the Angolan port of Luanda.
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Nigerian concessionaires demand surcharge
31 Aug 2008
Port concessionaires in Nigeria believe that they should be receiving the 7% surcharge levied on imported items that the government set up to develop port infrastructure.
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Djibouti tariff criticised
25 Aug 2008
Unilateral imposition of a new tariff system from August 15 has prompted the Ethiopian government to criticise Djibouti port's tariff plan as being both unfair and difficult to accept.
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Transnet port spin-off quashed
24 Aug 2008
The South African government has abandoned plans involving the transfer of port operations from Transnet to a separate entity.
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Cape Town plumps for Kalmar RTGs
22 Aug 2008
South Africa's largest stevedore company, Transnet, has committed to an order of 32 E-One+ rubber-tyred gantry cranes from Kalmar. The 1-over-5 high and 1+6 wide units – scheduled for delivery starting in June 2009 with the final cranes arriving by November 2010 – have been earmarked for the expansion of the Cape Town container terminal operation.
News Asia
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Russia-North Korea tie-up
06 Sep 2008
State-owned Russian Railways has set up a joint venture with the North Korean government to build a container terminal at the port of Rajin, as well as modernising the port's rail link. The terminal is expected to handle up to 400,000 teu/year.
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SIPG Taichang link
04 Sep 2008
The Shanghai International Port Group has been linked to a container terminal development project in the port of Taichang, which reported throughput last year of 1m teu. Growth of 60% has been reported for the first six months.
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Karnataka's minor port focus
03 Sep 2008
India's Karnataka state government has announced a policy of developing minor ports by using private sector participation. Build-operate-transfer contracts are to be made available to interested developers.
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Diamond loses its sparkle
03 Sep 2008
The cost of building a 1.6m teu capacity container terminal at Diamond Harbour, 40 kilometres downstream from Calcutta, has doubled to $292m.
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China port deal
01 Sep 2008
Chinese port operator Chongqing Gangjiu is to acquire the port assets of its parent company for $218m. The move is aimed at strengthening its finances and improving its profitability.
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APM abandons Kaohsiung terminals
01 Sep 2008
Kaohsiung Harbour Bureau has revealed that APM Terminals is to abandon one of the two container terminals that it operates at the port.
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Guangdong's lucky eight
30 Aug 2008
The city of Zhongshan in Guangdong is to invest $47.5m in a new port equipped with eight container berths, each capable of handling 200,000 TEU/year.
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Ennore selects six bidders
27 Aug 2008
Six bidders have been shortlisted by Ennore Port Ltd to develop a container terminal costed at $308m.
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Vietnam growth
26 Aug 2008
First half growth at Vietnamese ports, which amounted to 22%, was double that registered in 2007.
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Dighi Port concession
18 Aug 2008
Dighi Port Ltd has entered into an agreement with the Maharashtra Maritime Board, State Government of Maharashtra, to run a 50-year development and operations concession at the port near Mumbai.
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Environmental coal first scored by Port Pipavav
16 Aug 2008
An environmental coal yard claiming to be "the only one of its kind" in the Indian sub-continent has been commissioned by Port Pipavav, Gujarat.
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Busan boss steps down
08 Aug 2008
Gap Sook Lee, president of Busan Port Authority (BPA), has resigned from his position. Mr Lee conveyed his appreciation to the employees of BPA for their work toward the development of Busan Port and asked them to continue their efforts to make Busan the hub port of Northeast Asia.
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Vietnam joint venture coup
07 Aug 2008
APM Terminals and Vinashin's Pharung Shipyard Company have entered into a joint venture to develop a new container terminal in Vietnam's Dinh Vu industrial zone.
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Hutchison turns its back on TT Club
30 Jul 2008
One of the biggest shake-ups in ports and terminals insurance in recent years has been revealed, with the leading operator, Hutchison Port Holdings, transfering the majority of its cover out of the TT Club.
News Australasia
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Darwin study planned
06 Sep 2008
The Australian Federal Government is to commission two studies, worth A$3.2m ($28.1m), into the port of Darwin's potential for expansion. One study will look at deepening the port, while the other will investigate berth expansion.
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Near-miss at Taranaki
05 Sep 2008
Severe weather snapped a mooring line on the vessel Pacific Warlock berthed at Port Taranaki, catapulting a 30-kilogramme steel ring past the port control security room and into a nearby SUV
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Gladstone deals with dust
02 Sep 2008
Gladstone Ports Corporation is to invest A$2.4m ($2.1m) in wind barriers around its coal stockpiles in an attempt to reduce dust escaping into the surrounding community.
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DP World injects cash into Brisbane concession
01 Sep 2008
DP World will spend A$250m ($219.4m) upgrading its Brisbane terminals after signing a 40-year lease agreement with the Port of Brisbane Corp.
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Death at Lyttelton
29 Aug 2008
Long-serving Lyttelton Port of Christchurch watersider Martin Sincock (55) was recently killed when a line snapped on the coal ship Devprayag while it was being moored at Cashin Quay.
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Oz port congestion improves
28 Aug 2008
The Simpson, Spence and Young Australian Coal Port Congestion Index has dropped to 7.1 days, the lowest it has been since October 2006.
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Otago dispute settled
27 Aug 2008
A new two-year collective employment agreement has been reached between Port Otago and the Combined Unions.
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Newcastle blockade
26 Aug 2008
Environmental protesters temporarily blockaded rail access for coal trains to the Australian port of Newcastle in August. In the first five months of this year, throughput has increased by 1.5m tonnes to 38.67m tonnes as demand from China increases.
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Asciano slams decision to add new operators in Australia
13 Aug 2008
Australian ports operator Asciano has criticised the New South Wales and Queensland governments, saying it was risky and expensive to introduce a third terminal operator to Sydney's Port Botany and Brisbane Fisherman Islands.
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Mega-coal port on drawing board down-under
18 Jul 2008
Australia is considering plans to construct a new 100m tonnes coal export terminal, its first in 25 years.
News Europe
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FESCO Vladivostok deal
31 Aug 2008
FESCO transport group has acquired a 50% stake in Vladivostok Container Terminal, which it picked up after acquiring all of the shares of the National Container Company from the N-Trans group. The deal was worth $200m.
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Bristol hopeful for speedy government approval
30 Aug 2008
Bristol Port Company has submitted a harbour revision order application and environmental statement to the government for its planned 1.5m teu deepsea container terminal.
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Maersk departure hits Alicante
29 Aug 2008
Maersk has withdrawn its South Iberia feeder service from the port of Alicante after just three months.
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Algeciras funds secure
28 Aug 2008
Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA) has approved an investment package of €59m ($87.9m) to expand existing port infrastructure, including construction of the new Adosado terminal and reinforcement of Juan Carlos I quay.
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New blood at Tarragona
27 Aug 2008
DP World (60%) and Zim (40%) have bought Tarragona container terminal operator Contarsa, which is currently handling 150,000 teu.
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Russian port commitment
26 Aug 2008
Russia is to spend €7.6bn ($11.3bn) on developing ports in the North West, of which €2.1bn ($3.1bn) will come from the Federal Budget. Ust-Luga should be handling up to 130m tonnes by 2015, Primorsk in the region of 25m tonnes, Vyborg 3m tonnes and Vystock 12m tonnes. Kaliningrad plans to build a dedicated container terminal.
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Workers offered alternatives at Cagliari
25 Aug 2008
Cagliari container terminal concessionaire CICT has recently had talks with trade unions regarding working practices, especially covering ad hoc vessel calls, during what has become a period of crisis for the terminal.
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Italy ports plagued by problems
24 Aug 2008
The port authority of Genova has asked the government for help to resolve the legal impasse that is threatening to stall operations in the port.
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HPH wins Salonika
23 Aug 2008
Thessaloniki Port Authority has approved the decision made by its valuation committee to award a concession to Hutchison Port Holdings to operate the container terminal at the port of Salonika.
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Black Sea strength for APM
18 Aug 2008
APM has begun development of a container terminal at the Ukrainian Port of Illichivsk.
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Russian trailer success for newcomer
14 Aug 2008
Spanish company Fabrisem SL has broken into the Russian/CIS market with a contract for 17 trailers for National Container Company. Twelve trailers will be delivered to First Container Terminal in St Petersburg with the other five being delivered to the off-dock container terminal in Shushary, 20 km away.
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Hanjin snaps up third Algeciras terminal
13 Aug 2008
Hanjin Shipping subsidiary Total Terminal International Algeciras is going to build and run what is set to be the third container terminal at the Port of Algeciras Bay.
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CMA CGM terminal arm commits to Odessa
09 Aug 2008
A 50% stake in Odessa container terminal in the Brooklyn Kiev Port, Ukraine, has been sold to Terminal Link, part of the CMA CGM group. The terminal will open late 2008 and have a throughput capacity of 200,000 teu.
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Cork smashes throughput records
07 Aug 2008
Turnover at the Ireland's Port of Cork has reached a record €24.9m ($38.6m) boosted by landmark throughput figures.
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Tyne welcomes CMA CGM exec
02 Aug 2008
Tom Boardley, chief executive of CMA CGM (UK) Holdings Limited, has been appointed to the board of the Port of Tyne as a non-executive director.
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Gulftainer takes on Turkish challenge
30 Jul 2008
Gulftainer has made good on its international expansion promises with a deal with Turkey's Demas International.
News Middle East
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Oman doubles Duqm funds
12 Sep 2008
The government of Oman has doubled investment for the Duqm Port and Dry Dock project to $1.81bn to boost the overall capacity and size, therefore making it suitable for very large bulk tankers to be accommodated.
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Middle East port projects boom
10 Sep 2008
According to research company Proleads, there are around 50 port development projects in the Middle East valued at in excess of $33bn, with budgets ranging from $10m to $5.5bn.
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Iraqi imports thriving
09 Sep 2008
The port of Umm Qasr, which is the entry point for 80% of Iraqi imports, is said to have doubled traffic following a government crackdown on militia activity in Basra province earlier this year.
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Israel workers' share
05 Sep 2008
Trade union representatives of Israeli port workers have suggested that the government could put together a sweetheart stock deal for its members as part of the planned privatisation of Haifa and Ashdod, which is slated for completion by 2020.
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DP World reaches into Aden
30 Aug 2008
DP World and Aden Port Corporation (ACT) have signed a joint venture agreement allowing the former to operate container handling facilities at both Aden Container Terminal and Ma’alla Container Terminal.
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APM further cements Tanger commitment
28 Aug 2008
APM Terminals in partnership with Morocco's Akwa Group has been awarded the concession to operate Terminal 3 at Tanger-Med II, which has a capacity of 3m teu.
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Damascus terminal ready for "brisk" business
17 Aug 2008
Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottari of Syria has officially inaugurated the Tartous International Container Terminal (TICT), Syria’s newest international trading gateway nearest to the country’s capital Damascus. The terminal is "ready for brisk business", according to Budhadev Majumdar, TICT general manager.
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Dubai ties up giant dredgers
21 Jul 2008
A joint venture between Boskalis Westminster Middle East and Dredging International will see both companies mobilise some of the biggest trailing suction hopper dredgers in the world for the construction and expansion of Port Rashid, Dubai.
News Products and Services
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Hyster's space saving forklifts
18 Aug 2008
As yard space becomes an increasing problem, careful forklift truck selection to optimise yard space should be a growing concern on dock.
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One-stop for MAFI port equipment
15 Aug 2008
Terminal and ro-ro tractors will now be distributed by a joint partnership between Cooper Specialised and MAFI, the manufacturer of in-plant transport systems.
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Movement capture all the rage
13 Aug 2008
UK-manufacturer Highway Energy Systems is set to take the global ports industry by storm with its innovative kinetic energy recovery system.
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CVS unveils combined tractor and stacker power
05 Aug 2008
An innovative new machine that is able to handle both the roles of a terminal tractor and a reach stacker has been designed by CVS Ferrari engineers.
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Switched on ship-power
04 Aug 2008
A Chinese post-panamax container vessel, the Xin Ya Zhou, has had a successful trial in connecting to shore-based Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) at the Port of Los Angeles in California.
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Missed benefits of forklift fleet management tools
21 Jul 2008
Forklift optimiser Transmon claims that port operators could do more to improve forklift performance beyond the installation of fleet management systems.
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Oman swayed by suction mooring benefits
18 Jul 2008
Oman has stamped its seal of approval on vacuum-based automated mooring systems with an order for 12 Cavotec units for the Port of Salalah.
Opinion: Libra Terminais
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Equipment stock take
10 Sep 2008
In terms of equipment, Grupo's Libra's Terminal 37 in Santos, which covers an area of 371,000 sq m, has seven quayside gantry cranes deployed along its 1,100 metre long quay. The two most recent are also the biggest.
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An embarrassment of riches
10 Sep 2008
Santos terminal Libra Terminais is capitalising on Brazilian throughput that has grown beyond all expectations, as Alex Hughes finds out
Planning & Design: Land Reclamation
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More capacity to take up the slack
13 Aug 2008
Van Oord has taken delivery of HAM 318, the world’s largest trailing suction hopper dredger, after Chinese shipbuilder Cosco lengthened the vessel by 52m, increasing capacity from 23,783 m³ to 37,293 m³.
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Under starter's orders
13 Aug 2008
In the race to secure increasingly scarce dredgers, land reclamation projects could fall at the first hurdle unless you book the contractor ahead of budget approval or buy your own dredgers, writes Patrik Wheater
Regional Feature: South Asia
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Karachi shines brightly
20 Aug 2008
Karachi Port has been one of the bright spots in the south Asian ports constellation this year.
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The ro-ro run
20 Aug 2008
India's ports are looking to build dedicated terminals for ships that ferry cars and roll-on roll-off vessels to cater to the increasing demand for export of cars, as Wing Kah-goh discovers
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Burma agrees Indian waterway pact
20 Aug 2008
The foreign minister of Burma's visit to New Delhi in January this year paved the way for the long awaited signing of a $100m project on the river Kaladan that will provide a transit route to India's north-eastern states.
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Tough nut to crack
20 Aug 2008
Wing Kah-goh finds investment conditions on the ground in south Asia still hard to fathom
Security: Container X-Ray Systems
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Smiths expands production
03 Sep 2008
Smiths Detection opened a high-tech production plant at Wiesbaden in Germany in July this year, to meet “soaring global demand” for its advanced X-ray scanning machines – these are principally for airport security but also used to support border checkpoint security.
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Consider customer and business requirements
03 Sep 2008
Quality, reliability and technical performance are extremely important when considering which scanning/security solutions are right for a port or terminal, says Andrew Goldsmith, vice president of marketing at Rapiscan Systems.
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Streamlined scanning
03 Sep 2008
What, when it comes to scanning solutions, do ports want? It’s easier to think about what they don’t want – bottlenecks, unexpected manning costs, or a load of false alarms that trigger costly shutdowns. Felicity Landon reports on the latest developments
News Americas
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Paraguay favours roads
13 Sep 2008
Paraguay says it is evaluating investment in its river port infrastructure. However its main focus will be on upgrading road infrastructure to improve access to and from the ports.
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Santos capacity boost
10 Sep 2008
Santos is to open four further container berths to boost capacity from 3m teu to 4m teu. The $515m project will involve an area of 541,000 su m and be eligible for a grant of $66.5m under Brazil's national Accelerated Investment Programme.
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Green steel terminal
08 Sep 2008
Brazil's National Steel Company is to open its own private terminal in the Port of Suape, which will handle 2m tonnes of cargo annually. The facility will be uniquely self-sufficient in electricity production.
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Payout for Manzanillo
07 Sep 2008
The Euro Oslo container vessel that crashed into Quay 3 at Colon container terminal in Manzanillo Bay in Panama has agreed to pay $10m in compensation to the Port Company.
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Buenaventura terminal
05 Sep 2008
The Colombian port of Buenaventura has begun construction of a dedicated container terminal, TCBUEN, which will occupy a 164,000 sq m area on the banks of the river Aguacate, some 2.4 kilometres from existing installations operated by SPRBUN.
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North east cash injection
03 Sep 2008
The Modernisation and Revitalisation Department of Brazil's Ports Secretariat has confirmed that ports in the North East of the country are going to receive major investment to fund large modernisation projects.
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Peru concession typo
02 Sep 2008
The Peruvian government has reduced planned concession periods for port terminal operators from 60 years down to 30 years, blaming a typing error for the initial published figure.
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Brazil's ports industry in flux
28 Aug 2008
The Brazilian Public Container Terminal Users Association (Abratec) is questioning the legality of having a private container terminal, Portonave, in the port of Navegantes, compete with the Port of Itajaí Container Terminal (Teconvi), which is a publicly owned facility.
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Blanca deal sealed
27 Aug 2008
A $150m contract has been signed to build a multi-purpose terminal at the Argentinian port of Bahía Blanca.
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'Emergency' call in Costa Rica
27 Aug 2008
Users of the Costa Rican ports of Moín and Limón have called on the government to declare a state of national emergency for port operations.
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Double bubble at Brazilian ports
20 Aug 2008
LLX Logística (LLXL3), logistics arm of Brazil's EBX group, plans to double the capacity of Sudeste port to 50m tonnes and Açu port to 100m tonnes by 2012, LLX chief executive Ricardo Antunes has said.
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Chile sets out future agenda
12 Aug 2008
Chile's government is to invest in maritime infrastructure to improve connectivity in the country's far south.
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Metro returns to its roots
10 Aug 2008
Metro Ports has returned to the Pier 80 terminal of the Port of San Francisco to operate the omni-cargo terminal.
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El Salvador concession hiccup
05 Aug 2008
The concession for El Salvador's La Unión port has been delayed for 60 days following the rewriting of bidding rules, Rolando Díaz concessions manager of CEPA, national ports authority CEPA has said.
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Cartagena set for sizable traffic boost
05 Aug 2008
Colombia’s Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena (SPRC) says it expects sizable increases in cargo traffic at the Port of Cartagena.
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Savannah's shared terminal goes ahead
03 Aug 2008
Plans to share ownership of the Jasper Ocean Terminal site were put up for approval at the end of July.
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Land-locked Bolivians push for Chilean terminal
18 Jul 2008
Evo Morales, President of Bolivia and his opposite number, Michelle Bachelet of Chile have opened the door to the construction of a Bolivian port on the Chilean coast, according to local sources.
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Tax bill threatens US west coast ports future
18 Jul 2008
A controversial revenue-generating port bill appears to be on the home stretch in the California legislative process, lacking only the final seal from state governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
